The Enchanter's Gung Ho Guide to GroupingFollow

Inspired by an enchanter in a group I tanked for in Stormhold, I thought I'd put together a few simple rules for getting the best out of group combat.

1) Be fearless, go out in front, and show those cowardly plate wearing creatures the way. Try to stay at least a corner or two in front of the rest of the group, so that adds have a chance to run in fear from your satorially elegant very light armour gown.

2) Mezz as soon as you see a mob, preferably before the tank has seen it. If they can't taunt fast enough to keep it's group mates off you, it's their fault.

3) Practise your hair-trigger mezzing. Make sure you mezz first, so the tank knows which creature to attack. Vice-versa is for wimps. Mezz doesn't use any power, or have a recharge delay, so you can afford to splash it around.

4) Mezz quickly right at the start. Preferably before the tank even pulls. Mezz does not have an aggro effect, resists happen only to other people, and especially in a pick-up group, the tank will always know which critter you are going to mezz, even if they all have the same name, because you've got a 'mezzing %t' macro.

5) Encourage other DPS types to also get in quick and early with their heavy artillery. Tanks have lots of special hate transfer wards and stuff, which instantly and fully transfer all hate to them, without any triggering or recovery delays, build up cycles or area effect consequences.

6) Complain loudly each, and every time someone breaks your mezz. Everyone plays frequently with enchanters and has an enchanter alt, so especially in low level pickup groups concepts such as auto-attack, area effect spells & damage over time are all perfectly well known, and they are just being malicious.

7) Watch out for tanks. They don't get shared experience debt, so they will always try to get the DPS types killed off at the start of the fight, so that their armour gets a better workout, and they don't have to share the glory.

8) Mezz everything, especially grey mobs. You don't want people to think you ever get your hands dirty with actually doing damage.

9) Make sure you don't attack the same critter as the Tank. All their best taunts are for the critter's they are not focused on. They can easily get it's attention back off you, without tabbing around.

10) Melee, up close and personnal. Your trusty 2-7 Newbie isle issue dagger will always tip the balance in an encounter. Forget some musclebound assasin dual wielding ghoulbanes, you are the melee master.

11) Melee from out in front, it's the only way to practise parrying the mob's riposte, and you can dodge better than a monk anyway.

12) Get right in the thick of things. You don't need to be able to see the whole battle, that's someone elses job.

13) When you die, thank the tank nicely in a group broadcast - something along the lines of "Taunt you moron" works a treat in my experience.

14) When doing all the above, and your tank is a paladin, expect them to be delighted to use their "Laying Of Hands" last ditch emergency heal with a 30 minute recharge delay on you. Its selfish of them to want to save it for themselves or the healer.

15) Use "Consume Ego" frequently and without warning, it's fun to watch the tank frantically tabbing to find that invisible add, and healers are delighted to replentish your health - it's not like they need power for anything else.

Happy Enchanting,

AntrygWindrose 22 Paladin,
Mistrose 19 Cleric,
Ielond 15 Enchanter - Najena.

Share the name? It's better for everyone to stay away from dangerous players like that.

Edit: Too bad the group leader didn't boot the mad-mezzer early. I know I would have.

Edited, Fri Mar 11 12:12:47 2005 by tutanbriarpaw

Aparently the "Gung Ho" style, tho perhaps effective at having a good time, is NOT the style to emulate.